Month: April 2021

Need a new dinner recipe? You can cook all the ingredients in one pan! Prepare this dish with cubes of extra-firm tofu fried until the surface is crispy. It’s tossed with crunchy vegetables and a sweet, orange sauce. The inside remains soft while the outside is crispy and golden for the perfect contrasting texture. Prep time: 30 minsCook time: 20 minsTotal time: 50 minsServings: 4 servings Ingredients: 16 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1/2 cup orange juice 1/3 cup vegetable broth 1/4 cup soy sauce 3 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons rice vinegar 1/2 teaspoon garlic chili sauce, add more for a spicier sauce 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 tablespoons water 4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided 1 teaspoon sesame oil 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, 1/2-inch thick slices 2 cups sugar snap peas 1/2 large red bell pepper, 1/2-inch dice 1/2 large green bell pepper, 1/2-inch dice 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 teaspoons minced ginger 1 tablespoon green onion, thinly sliced kosher salt, to taste black pepper, to taste Directions: Prepare the baking sheets: Line a large baking sheet with paper towels, have another baking sheet ready and a weight like a jar of sugar or flour. Press the tofu: Drain tofu and dry with paper towels. Arrange the tofu in a single layer on the baking sheet lined with paper towels. Cover with additional paper towels. Place a second sheet pan on top. Place a heavy can or jar on the pan to lightly press out the excess moisture from the tofu. Leave it for about 10 minutes. Dry the tofu: After pressing, use dry paper towels to gently pat each piece of tofu dry to remove as much residual moisture as possible. Set the pieces aside on dry paper towels. Make the sauce: In a medium-sized bowl whisk together orange juice, vegetable broth, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and garlic chili sauce. In a small bowl whisk together cornstarch and water, set aside. Fry the tofu: Heat a wok or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 teaspoons vegetable oil and sesame oil and heat until shimmering but not smoking. Swirl the pan to coat with the oil.Working in two batches, add tofu to the pan in a single layer. Cook until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip over and cook the other side until golden browned, another 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a clean plate lined with a paper towel, then fry the remaining tofu. Stir-fry the vegetables: Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to the pan. Add the mushrooms and sugar snap peas, stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the diced bell peppers, cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and ginger, stir-fry for 30 seconds. Cook the sauce: Add the sauce mixture to the pan, simmer for 30 seconds. Mix the cornstarch mixture, then gradually add to the pan, stir constantly until thickened, about 30 seconds. Add the tofu back to the pan: Turn off the heat and add the tofu back to the pan, stir to coat and warm through, about 1 minute. Season tofu stir-fry with salt, pepper, and garlic chili oil to taste. Serve tofu stir-fry with rice and garnish with green onions. Source: Simply Recipes

Enjoy a quick healthy snack with your air fryer. The banana chips are left delicious and crispy thanks to the heated air circulation. You can enjoy these alone or along with other fruits. Ingredients: Banana Brown sugar Cinnamon Non-stick cooking spray Directions: Chop banana into thin slices. Coat each side with brown sugar and cinnamon. Coat air fryer pan with non-stick cooking spray and load bucket with slices. Set to 300 degrees F for 10 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

This carrot soup recipe will be sure to please adults and kids alike. The naturally sweet veggie truly shines in a creamy soup. Carrots offer multiple health benefits, and are also a great base for a dish. They cook relatively fast and with just a few simple ingredients, turn into smooth, rich and slightly sweet soup. It’s also surprisingly fast to cook, in just 30 minutes! Read how below. Prep time: 5 minsCook time: 30 minsTotal time: 35 minsServings: 4 to 6 servings Ingredients: For the soup: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 large white onion, chopped 2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 teaspoon dried thyme 4 cups vegetable stock 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon white pepper (optional) 4 tablespoons heavy cream, divided For garnish: Paprika Fresh chives, minced Cheesy Toast Dippers: 8 slices baguette, sliced 1/2-inch thick 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated Directions: Preheat the oven to 400°F for the Cheesy Toast Toppers Cook the veggies: In a large pot over medium heat, add butter and onions. Cook until onions turn translucent, 3 to 4 minutes, but don’t let them brown at all. Season with a pinch of salt.Add carrots, garlic, and dried thyme, and stir together. Cook for 30 seconds just until garlic becomes fragrant. Add the stock and simmer: Add stock and bring mixture to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until carrots are very tender. Meanwhile, make the cheesy toast dippers: Spread your baguette slices out on a baking sheet and drizzle them with olive oil. Then sprinkle generously with finely grated Parmesan cheese.Bake toasts at 400°F until edges are browned and Parmesan cheese is starting to turn a light tan color around the edges, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove toasts and set aside. Finish the soup: When carrots are tender, use an immersion blender right in the pot to blend soup until smooth.If you don’t have an immersion blender, remove soup from heat and allow to cool until it isn’t steaming hot. Then you can blend in batches in a standard blender and return it to your pot. Return the blended soup to low heat and season with salt and white pepper (optional). Serve the soup: Ladle the soup into bowls and swirl in about a tablespoon of heavy cream into each bowl. Garnish the soup with a sprinkle of paprika and fresh minced chives. Plus, add a cheesy toast dipper!Leftover soup keeps well in the fridge for 5 days, or you can transfer it to a freezer-safe ziploc plastic bag or tupperware and freeze it for up to six months. Reheat soup gently over low heat on the stovetop.Don’t freeze the soup if you’ve added cream to it, because it will most likely separate. In theory, it would taste the same once it is reheated, but I prefer to stir in fresh cream and freeze the soup without the cream in it. Source: Simply Recipes

Enjoy a quick snack with your air fryer. The potatoes are left delicious and crispy thanks to the heated air circulation. You can enjoy these with your favorite seasoning as you toss it in the air fryer. Ingredients: Russet potato Garlic salt Olive oil spray Seasonings (optional) Directions: Wash and chop a russet potato. Season heavily with garlic salt. Coat pan and potatoes with olive oil. Cook at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes. Shake the basket every 5-8 minutes.

Prepare this dinner recipe and skip out on the restaurant. Toss these with some chili powder and red pepper flakes with added veggies for a plate full of flavor. You’ll want to cook these in a skillet or over a grill. A cast iron skillet will sear the shrimp nicely. Prep time: 10 minsCook time: 15 minsTotal time: 25 minsServings: 4 servings Ingredients: Charred Serrano Salsa: 2 serrano chiles 1/2 cup medium red salsa, store-bought or homemade 1/2 lime, juice only Pinch of salt Shrimp Fajita Spice Mix: 2 teaspoons mild chili powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon granulated onion 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional Fajitas: 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (31/35 size) 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 red pepper, sliced 1 green pepper, sliced 1/2 large red onion, sliced, about 1 cup 10 medium flour tortillas Toppings: Fresh avocado Salsa Fresh cilantro Sour cream Directions: Make the salsa: Char the serrano chiles in a cast iron skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or grill over medium-high heat. Once cooked, cut the peppers in half and scoop out seeds. Then chop and stir into your favorite salsa along with lime and salt. It boosts the flavor and heat substantially! Season the shrimp: Mix up the spice mix of chili powder, kosher salt, black pepper, granulated onion, cumin, dried oregano, and optional red pepper flakes. Drizzle shrimp with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss with 2 tablespoons of spice mix. Stir well to combine and coat the shrimp. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the peppers and onions, and sprinkle the remaining spice mix over them. Stir to coat. Cook the fajitas: To cook the fajitas on the stovetop, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. If you’re grilling the fajitas, heat your grill to medium-high heat along with a grill pan. Once hot, add veggies to the skillet or grill pan and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until vegetables soften and start to char in spots. Scoot the veggies to one side of the pan and add shrimp. Cook shrimp for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring regularly until they are cooked through. They will cook fast! Serve the fajitas: Smear the flour tortillas with some sour cream. Divide veggies and shrimp between tortillas (I like to serve 3 to 4 shrimp per tortilla). You can remove the tails prior to serving, or let each person remove their own tails. Top the fajitas with avocado, salsa, fresh cilantro and/or sour cream. Leftover fajitas filling will keep okay in the fridge for a day or two. I prefer to reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat until warmed through. I don’t recommend microwaving shrimp unless you want your microwave to forever smell like shrimp. Source: Simply Recipes